Every Matt Johnson Movie, Ranked

One of the most prominent independent filmmakers of the modern era, Matt Johnson has grown especially popular in recent years thanks to his distinct pseudo-documentary style and the overwhelming charm in his feature films. The Canadian filmmaker has had a dedicated yet niche fanbase since his early work on the cult-classic web series Nirvanna the Band the Show, but recent films have skyrocketed his appeal and recognition among moviegoers.

With only 5 feature films to his name, Johnson continues to carve out and establish his signature style and appeal as he begins working with rising stars and Hollywood legends alike. While not immediately recognizable to the average moviegoer, those familiar with his work will be quick to sing its strengths from the rooftops, calling him one of the most distinct and individual voices in modern film. There’s a genuine argument to be made for these films to be ranked in any order, as they are all great and have their own strengths, with this specific ranking tapping into the larger trends of their reception.

5

‘Operation Avalanche’ (2016)

Image via Lionsgate Premiere

It feels wrong to deem one of Johnson’s films to be the worst, but if any film is going to hold the mantle of his weakest cinematic offering, it sadly has to be Operation Avalanche. It’s a genuine shame, as the film is still an incredibly underrated thriller, yet every other film in Johnson’s filmography is breaking new ground and truly exceptional in its execution. The film follows a group of CIA agents sent to investigate NASA in 1967 while posing as a documentary crew, in the process putting into motion the infamous conspiracy of faking the moon landing.

The greatest strength of Operation Avalanche is how it catches the audience off guard with its tone and style, starting with a classic, lighthearted Johnson romp before delving into the dark reality of the consequences of conspiracy. Sadly, part of these strengths feel reliant on a knowledge of Johnson’s filmmaking style in able to truly appreciate it. Still, the low-budget filmmaking is extremely impressive, making the most of the limited resources for a sense of renegade filmmaking that Johnson excels at.

4

‘Tony’ (2026)

Image via A24, Everett Collection

The most recent release from Johnson’s filmography (outside of a Stavros Halkias comedy special), Tony employs a style and approach unlike any other film that Johnson has directed. This is largely due to the fact that it’s the only film of Johnson’s where he isn’t playing a character himself, as well as the only one of his films to not have the pseudo-documentary visual style of cinematographer Jared Raab. Still, different doesn’t necessarily mean worse, as Johnson’s take on a coming-of-age biopic about Anthony Bourdain is still rife with his signature hallmarks of filmmaking and storytelling.

Tony excels as a biopic because it strives to be distinctly different from being a Wikipedia page of Bourdain’s achievements, instead telling a story of growth and finding one’s purpose in the world through the stupidity and pompous ego of youth. It’s a truly great coming-of-age film that stands on its own even outside of the connection to one of the world’s most prolific culinary figures, able to carve out its own identity thanks to Johnson’s distinct style. It’s a promising turn for Johnson’s career that shows that he can create and adapt his style to a more traditional filmmaking style for great success.

3

‘BlackBerry’ (2023)

Image via IFC Films

While most of the modern fervor and excitement for Johnson in the modern age is centered around his films of the past year, this inherent fervor and growing appreciation for the director in the modern age can be traced back to BlackBerry, arguably the best of the many brand biopics of 2023. The film tells the story of the cell phone brand, following its unlikely rise to success as well as its catastrophic fall into absolute obscurity. Unlike Tony, which largely has the look and feel of a more traditional biopic, BlackBerry overwhelmingly utilizes the Johnson style of fly-on-the-wall filmmaking to make the film one-of-a-kind among other corporate biopics.

It also marked the first time that Johnson worked with more prominent-name actors outside of his frequent collaborators, with the likes of Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, and Cary Elwes adding their strengths to this highly entertaining story. While many other biopics are quick to overly praise their subjects, BlackBerry cuts to the heart of not just what made the company a success, but the inherent flaws and mistakes that led to its inevitable failure. The film managed to be a real breakout point for Johnson’s career, even being the most nominated film in the history of the Canadian Screen Awards as well as the most awarded title in their history.

2

‘The Dirties’ (2013)

Image via Phase 4 Films

Johnson’s debut feature film, The Dirties, is the type of hilarious yet sickeningly dark and poignant high school film that has only grown more striking and powerful in its filmmaking in the time since its release. It shows that even in the early days of his career, Johnson’s vision and knack for filmmaking shine through seamlessly with a style of filmmaking incredibly ahead of its time. The film follows a duo of best friends who begin making a movie about them getting revenge on their bullies, with the jokes starting to take a dark turn as the act of making the film begins to turn into plans for a school shooting.

For a storyline and concept that is so bleak and excessively dark in nature, Johnson continuously finds ways to stay upbeat in his filmmaking and dark humor without ever taking away from the gravitas of the story at hand. Its low-budget filmmaking is exceptionally impressive as well, constantly blurring the lines of what is and isn’t real, with some people on-screen not even aware that they’re in a movie. It’s about as perfect of a debut film as a filmmaker can ask for, and has stood as the clear opus of Johnson’s filmography until just this past year.

1

‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ (2026)

Image via NEON

Considering the fact that Johnson had been working on various Nirvanna the Band stories ever since the 2000s, it makes perfect sense that the eventual feature film adaptation, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, would be the greatest movie that he’s directed so far. This wild and hilarious time travel comedy sees the classic strengths of Johnson’s filmmaking style brought to their absolute extremes, with miraculous setpieces and a filmmaking style that constantly has the audience questioning how they managed to make it. It’s so exceptional in its filmmaking that it doesn’t even require any prior knowledge or viewing of previous Nirvanna the Band content, working exceptionally well as its own standalone comedy.

It sees the classic duo of Matt and Jay trying to book a show at the Rivoli theater, only for their plans to go massively awry as they accidentally travel back in time to the year 2008. This story of camaraderie and long-lasting friendship is constantly surprising and delighting the audience with its ingenious sense of comedy and wit. It easily stands as one of the best comedy movies of the 2020s so far and will certainly be the work of art that defines Johnson’s legacy as his career continues to grow and evolve.